Sunday, November 27, 2016

China set to approve long-lasting anti-HIV injection

China's national drug authority is in the process of examining the results of a clinical trial for the drug Albuvirtide, which is set to be the world's first long-lasting anti-HIV injection. The drug was developed by a Chinese biotechnology company and has been in phase-3 clinical trials in the country since 2014.

The drug works by halting infection at its most early stages by preventing the fusion of the viral phospholipid membrane with the host cell membrane. In trials, 80.4% of patients were shown to have their HIV titers decrease below 50 copies per ml, the standard detection sensitivity for HIV. In effect, the injection made the infections undetectable.

The drug regimen involved weekly injections. China is particularly excited about the development as it is China's first indigenously developed anti-HIV drug.